Summary
The future ofAEW Fight Foreveris likely to see the game ending season passes and slowing down updates moving forward. AEW adding all previous DLC purchases in one pack often implies that no more DLC will be made available in the near future. Fans ofAEW Fight Foreverenjoyed it at the start with a fresh wrestling game outside the WWE bubble. However, it quickly became apparent that the game wasn’t going to continue growing after the new ideas were implemented.
The hope was thatAEW Fight Foreverwould hold relevance each season with new wrestlers and game improvements every few months. A future game would be exciting, but change would be needed. The sequel toAEW Fight Forevershould focus on putting the gameplay first to have more overall success.
The difference between WWE and AEW often comes down to what fans expect from each company.WWE is more like a fighting theater showwith bells and whistles expected in between the wrestling matches. In contrast, AEW focuses more on the sports aspect of trying to showcase athletics, with the aftermath of winners and losers providing the storytelling. Competition and the things wrestlers do to win matches or feuds dictate what the stories are.
AEW Fight Foreverneeded to have a fun in-ring aspect of matches feeling realistic and exciting. The game deserves credit for the smaller aspects ofa wrestling game like role reversalsand fluid motion in the ring that feel authentic. Some flaws held it back from being perfect, but there was hope early on for a new project to continue growing.
The announcement of seasonal upgrades and various updates to work on flaws had fans excited about potential improvements in the ring.AEW Fight Forever’s signature moves and finisher moveshad an ideal formula that was simple to understand, but some moves required extremely precise timing in the ring. Adam Page’s popular buckshot lariat finishing move didn’t work unless the wrestler and opponent were standing in ideal positions to show how flawed it could be.
Other issues were clearly prevalent,likeAEW Fight Forever’s lack of match stipulationsor ability to fight anywhere beyond the ring vicinity. High-flying moves became hard to pull off unless they involved an opponent down in the right spot in the ring and a wrestler close enough on the top rope. The star rating system was a fun twist, but that even had its own flaws to frustrate users.
AEW Fight Forever Updates Focused On Other Aspects Of Game Too Much
Any video game taking risks should be viewed as ambitious, but that doesn’t mean the risks will always work out.AEW Fight Foreverwanted to take big swingswhen coming up with ideas to add more buzz to the game. Secondary ideas like mini-games and new venues getting added to the season passes didn’t have enough users caring about those things to find success.
Stadium Stampede mode was the biggest ideacreated by theAEW Fight Foreverdevelopers. The mode allowed users to replicate battle royale games likeFortniteby wrestling against other users all over a football field. Wrestling-related weapons and boosts were available to use, similar to how battle royale games operate. A lot of time, effort, and money went into that mode, but it didn’t win over enough users. The mode barely gets more than a handful of active players in online games today, thanks in part to a lack of crossplay.
Standard (singles, tag, triple threat)
No
AEW Fight Foreverwanted to excel at things other than gameplay with the mode diversity and the addition of new wrestlers joining the game.The star power of Adam “Edge” Copeland, Swerve Strickland, Samoa Joe, and Toni Storm should have given the game more excitement with season passes. Unfortunately, the gameplay felt repetitive and flaws from day one persisted.
The next AEW game must find innovative ways to continue improving the match quality in the gameplay. AEW’s televised matches are second to none with exciting back and forth action flowing perfectly. The potential ofAEW Fight Forevershowed that in-ring matches should be the bread and butter with more detailed gameplay and fun additions needed for a future game.
AEW Fight Forever
WHERE TO PLAY
Developed by YUKE’S Co., Ltd., creators of numerous, multi-million unit selling wrestling games, AEW: Fight Forever combines arcade-wrestling game feel with innovative All Elite Wrestling finishers and tandem offensive moves. The All Elite Wrestling promotion is currently taking TNT and TBS networks by storm every week with their Rampage and Dynamite shows, featuring some of the biggest legends to enter the ring plus a stable of brand new, high-flying, AEW talent. AEW: Fight Forever brings more than 50 of the best of the best from that talent roster together in one game! Online co-op wrestling is going completely next level in Fight Forever with Tag Team matches that feature sequences of team maneuvers performed with simple commands. More than 10 different game modes, including Unsanctioned Lights Out and Falls Count Anywhere PLUS more than 40 weapons, deep customization, career mode, and mini-games all await in AEW: Fight Forever!
